Love Knows no Reason
by Seductive Venus
Summary: Red is for bravery, war and ambition. It stands for courage and love. There are many stories on why Yuuko Ichihara wears her favourite color all the time. -YuukoxClow-
1. love knows no reason

Title: love knows no reason  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 1. Fool For Love  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. Written unofficially for **7rainbowprompts**

It was his wish that shattered the world.

Clow Reed was the strongest and wisest magician in the entire world. He was the most powerful, most amazing and most inventive of all the practitioners. A gifted sorcerer like him came only once in a few centuries. Aside from being naturally gifted, he was also blessed with honed skills and thirst for knowledge. He was a rarity, even in the magical world.

Everyone watched the child of the East and the West growing in strength and power. Great things were expected from him. At the time of the creation of the Clow Cards, it seemed that his mission was accomplised. He had combined Eastern and Western magic into creating magical creatures that would live even after he had passed on. His lasting legacy was complete.

His wish was not to live forever through his creations. What he wanted most in the entire world was to cure his beloved from her terminal illness. In spite of having all the magic in the world, he was helpless in the face of such a ruthless and degenerative disease. Medicine wasn't that far advanced yet. So he could not do anything but watch.

The world believed that Clow created his Clow Cards to demonstrate his abilities.

But Yuuko Ichihara knew better.

How could she forget his excited expression when he visited her home on that winter afternoon? She had been his co-conspirator and collaborator. The world can believe what it wanted to believe. She could let him have all of the glory.

He had designed those Cards to amuse her while she stayed in bed all day. He brought them to life to keep her company. She had drawn their faces and imagined their abilities. That was why some of them were useful and some of them were just silly. When they made the cards, they infused them with life energy. It wasn't surprising that they contained facets of them.

"They'll be ours," he said wistfully. "Yours and mine."

She kept her head bowed and didn't meet his eyes. His hands reached for hers and squeezed it.

They were bethroed to each other since they were born. It was expected for them to get married as soon as they reached their majority. They've been in love with no one but each other. So it pained them that her illness cut her life short and prevented her from bearing his children.

Yuuko knew that they were both fools for playing that game but they didn't regret it. She was glad to make him happy with their charade, even for just a short while. If he chose to believe that she will get better then she would allow him. They were both deceiving themselves. After all, he also wanted to hope and to believe that she will be well again by the time their little project was finished. Hoping against hope, he involved her. And she let him because it was inevitable.

Wise men cannot help if it they also fell in love. And they weren't very wise when they did. She understood his irrationality and his unreasonable belief that she will get better. Clow Reed loved no one but her. His love was as vast as the universe and it knew no bounds. Such a strong and immeasurable love was noble but not necessary. After all, where was wisdom in the passionate throes of love?

Yuuko proved it right.

At the precise moment that she died, he wished.

"I want her to open her eyes one more time."

It was his wish that shattered the universe and tore time.

Yuuko Ichihara who was dead for a moment was brought back to life. Her brown eyes had become a deep scarlet red and her body paled. She was freed from the frailty of her body but she was also lifeless. Clow, in his grief and horror, recoiled. She had stared at him without moving because her spirit hadn't come back. To free her from the limbo of heaven and hell, Fei Wong Reed sought to grant Clow's wish at a very exorbitant price.

Her existence was an anomaly. She was neither dead nor alive. To justify her existence and to repair the damage that was done to the future, she had to run the shop that grants wishes. She had to survive the countless centuries alone, surrounded by death and misery. She had to endure everything until the day that she could truly die and be reunited with the one she loved.

Clow Reed, hailed as the wisest sorcerer to ever live, was also the biggest fool.


	2. flirting

Title: Flirting  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 5. Ambition  
Rating: PG-15  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. Written unofficially for **7rainbowprompts** in LJ.

"It's you again, you four-eyed freak," Yuuko Ichihara said by way of greeting.

"Hello Ichihara-san," Clow Reed answered pleasantly.

They stared at each other with a deep measuring look. In the world that they inhabited in, they were competitors. They were also big rivals. So crossing paths in a competition was definitely expected to be a heated match.

She ran bright brown eyes up and down his figure. That arrogant man smirked. She flushed. He looked very dignified and very respectable in his deep blue robes embroidered with symbols of the sun and the moon. His eyes twinkled behind wireless glasses and his hair was tied back with a blue ribbon. She had to admit that he looked good.

"I notice that you've washed your clothes today," she retorted haughtily. "Is that a new cloak?"

"Why, I'm glad you noticed," he answered smoothly. He held her gaze before sweeping a bow. It was a gesture meant to jest but he thought that it would be a shame not to bow down to a beauty. He felt sincerely flattered to be in the presence of a truly beautiful woman. "You look lovely."

Yuuko Ichihara's cheeks flushed. She was wearing a crimson kimono with a bright red under-robe. Her obi was a deep rich black that was tied at the back with a bow. It showed off her creamy complexion and her luscious red lips. Red was her favourite colour because it flattered her the most.

"I'm glad we're not in Spain," he said in a teasing tone "or you'll be a target for the matador."

"Red is for ambition," she answered in jest "and bravery and war... You're my opponent, Clow Reed. I am not swayed by your pretty smiles."

He knew that she wanted to be the strongest mage in the world very badly. Why she did, he'd never know. So he merely indulged her in their play-fights. "Blue is for peace," he said softly in the same vein "and love."

She looked surprised for a moment but it was gone. Her cheeks flushed just a bit. And he longed to see that startled expression in her eyes again. Clow Reed was fascinated. Now he understood.

"That's why we add something blue to our wedding rhyme," he said very softly.

"Are you in love?" She sounded panicked and unsettled.

He smiled charmingly. "Are _you_ in love too?"

Yuuko blushed. She glared at him and then walked away. He stared at her back as she glided towards the other direction. When she gave the tiniest backward glance, his suspicions were confirmed. A smile crept up to his lips. What a clever woman. He realized her true ambition.


	3. better

Title: Better  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 4. Sweat Out The Fever  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. XD

Yuuko Ichihara was always full of life. She drank, she smoked and she always laughed. He was used to seeing her bouncing around the whole place hence the Mokona's preferred mode of transportation. Her energy was infectious; her zest for life was magnificent. He was used to hearing her voice full of sensuality; he was comfortable with her larger than life presence.

So when she got a fever all of a sudden, he was almost surprised.

Clow Reed went around the house to gather blankets, basins and a bottle of alcohol. In a moment of weakness, she had called him for help. Their conversation was amusing because he had to convince her that she needed him, even though she called him for help. The black-haired sorcerer was aware that she couldn't take care of herself properly so inviting himself was the only necessary action. He smiled as he entered the large bedroom that housed the ill witch. She was lying on her back and making the most amusing noises consisting of low moans and curses. "Don't tell me you're dying, my dear."

"Shut up four-eyed freak," she grunted from the bottom of her thick comforter. Her long black hair was tangled and her cheeks were deliciously flushed. Reddish-brown eyes gazed at him dully. "I've never had a sick day in my life," she grumbled "and now I'm being cared for by you. How ironic!"

"I'm sure," Clow replied cheerfully. He started to spread layers upon layers of red blankets that was every hue ranging from scarlet to russet over her thick comforter. She stared at him with some curiosity but she let him be. It was only when she felt smothered that she realized what he was doing. As though anticipating her sarcasm, he said sweetly. "You have to sweat out the fever to get better."

"I'm not going to sweat out anything if I can't breathe," She retorted hotly "and you're planning to kill me by blankets."

"Pretend you're the delicate princess in that charming fairytale involving a pea," he answered as he smoothed the top blanket. His blue-black eyes were twinkling merrily. She could tell that he was enjoying this. It infuriated her. Ill or not, she still had energy for this.

"The princess was on top of the covers," she snorted "and she wasn't sick with fever... yet."

"That's the logic," Clow grinned in amusement. "You have to sweat to get better."

She watched the black-haired sorceror open the bottle of liquor and pour some into a small glass with some envy. He toasted her silently. "Can't I have a bit of medicine?" she asked in a teasing tone.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm the one laundering the sheets so vomiting all over it is not an option."

Yuuko pouted and pulled the covers over her head. She swore never to fall ill ever again.

Clow smiled and toasted her good health and long life.


	4. sacred

Title: Sacred  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 1. Fool For Love  
Rating: PG-15  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. XD

Red was the colour for love, joy and prosperity in China. It was often used for good luck and for celebrations. And it was her favourite colour.

She wore red when she first welcomed him into her home. Her scarlet dress with its low neck and high slit to show off her thigh accentuated her ivory skin; her very long black hair was pulled up in an elaborate bun. Warm reddish-brown eyes gazed at him shyly as he took off his shoes.

"You look beautiful, Yuuko." Clow smiled. He was wearing blue. The stars and the moon on his coat seemed to shine under the gentle moonlight. She could feel his hungry gaze on her. A blush spread across her cheeks. She turned around to lead him inside to hide her face. His gaze seemed to rake the back of her neck and she could feel it like a sensual caress. Feeling pleased, she slowed down to look back at him coyly.

"Why red?" He said casually. "We're not newlyweds."

"You don't need to get married to do this," Yuuko answered quietly as she opened the door to her bedroom. It was a luxurious love haven with deep red silk sheets and burning candles. The scent of roses assaulted him immediately. She smiled to herself as he entered the room, awed by her attention to detail and her preparations. Ah, she was a fool for love. She was driven mad by him. (This was a mistake. She was making a huge mistake. Losing that single precious thing was a fate worse than death. But she was not going to think about it! She was willing to risk anything for this!) She reveled in it.

When he lay her down among the red, red rose petals he whispered how she put the flowers to shame and how beautiful was the blush across her cheeks. She bit her lips hard enough to draw blood. She was a fool but she was not ashamed of it.

As he dressed later into a blue silk robe, he saw her staring at the small patch of red that was darker than any rose petal. Her expression was soft and almost melancholic. He kissed her temple tenderly. "Do you regret it?" he asked in his most honest and simple voice.

Yuuko shook her head. "It's all for magic. What's the best way to share our secrets but through a communion of bodies?"

"What of our hearts?" he murmured very softly "It was a coming together of hearts and souls. We did a very sacred act."

Yuuko allowed him to kiss her again. As his lips withdrew, she smiled at him. "Like I said, we don't need to be married to do it."


	5. atonement

Title: Atonement  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 8. Past Mistakes  
Rating: PG-15  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. Themes are courtesy of 7rainbowprompts in LJ and this is written unofficially for the Red Set.

Watanuki Kimihiro noticed that his boss passed up sake in favor of red wine sometimes. It was a very rare occassion and it usually meant that Yuuko Ichihara was feeling nostalgic. He was finished with washing the dishes when he entered the sitting room where she was sipping really good vintage wine from her wineglass.

Yuuko was sitting languidly on her chaise lounge with a leg propped up. Her black hair seemed to shine in the fine candlelight. Mokona was drinking from his own wineglass. Her gaze followed him as he started to tidy up the room. Why do you look so sad, Yuuko-san? he wanted to ask. But he never did.

"Red wine tastes like past mistakes," she said all of a sudden.

He jumped. Seeing that she startled him, she raised her wineglass to indicate that she was almost out. He picked up the bottle and poured some more. The delicious smell of red wine filled the air. She stared at it dully before tipping it backwards into her throat.

Watanuki gazed at her, slightly confused. "Why do you drink so much?"

Yuuko thought about it.

"I'm atoning for past mistakes," she replied cheerfully. Death, a tear in the time-space continuum, ruining lives... It was all starting to look the same to her. So many lives that they'd ruined. So many worlds that they'd destroyed. All for one simple wish and paid for by so many things. "Don't look so scandalized. I was kidding."

As she watched him walk away, she felt her smile fade. If only Watanuki knew what lay in store for all of them. If only he knew the truth.

She cannot succeed in drinking herself to death but that doesn't mean she can't stop trying. Staring at her vague reflection in the wineglass made her stomach churn and her throat to burn. Biting back tears, she drank up.

A/N: I've written many themed stories on my writing blog so I decided to put it up on my account. Since I'm still addicted to xxxHolic, I hope this is enough.


	6. manhood

Title: Manhood  
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician  
Fandom: xxxHolic  
Claim: Clow Reed/Yuuko Ichihara  
Prompt Set: Red  
Prompt: 6. Dragon Tattoo  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine! CLAMP owns everyone. XD

Clow had a dragon tattoed on his arm one day. He had the vaguest feeling that he might regret his impulsive action...

Yuuko burst out laughing when she saw it. The Mokona hovered and bounced around, looking impressed. She laughed and laughed until her stomach hurt. He sulked in a corner until she draped an arm around his shoulder and kissed the mighty dragon. She couldn't resist teasing him though. "What's with the macho dragon tattoo? Do you want to be a sailor now?"

"An annoying pirate harassed my manhood," he said mildly "I think he was called Captain Jack Sparrow."

She gave a very unladylike snort.

"He said that a man isn't a man without a tattoo," Clow said, looking hopeful.

Yuuko giggled. "And you're being very manly by asking for it."

"How about if I exert brute force and coerce you into it?" She shivered involuntarily at his sensual smile. Silently damning him for being so wily, she took a step back. He smiled even more. "Pretend I'm a sailor who is out to save you..."

"Some cultures have sailors who rape and pillage," Yuuko said with a purr "and some have very sexy dragon tattoos."

Clow decided that he did not regret it.


End file.
